Breezes
by Tigyr
Summary: A prequel to Right Here Waiting...and yes it's a song fic, this time based around Shanghai Breezes by John Denver...


**Breezes**

Ziva sighs as she prepares to sit down at her computer. She wants so badly to talk to someone, anyone about where she is, who she is, and why she's in Israel and not the United States. She smiles when she sees Tim McGee online and pm's him.

**Zdavid:** Hello McGee, how are you tonight?

**Tmcgee:** It's been a long day. How are you doing?

**Zdavid:** I was wondering, do you have an elflord account?

Tim smiles down at the dog sitting on his feet. He had contemplated going to bed early tonight and is glad that he didn't do so now. He realizes that he hasn't replied yet and hastily types an answer.

**Tmcgee:** I do actually. I never got around to deleting it. Why what's wrong?

**Zdavid**: Nothing, I just wanted a way to talk to you without anyone knowing who I would be talking with. I want a bit of privacy and that would be one way of doing it.

**Tmcgee:** same site with Elflord instead of Tmcgee.

Tim waits for his messenger service to let him know that Ziva is online again. When it does he opens the email and chokes on his iced tea. Inside is a quick message.

Tim,

I would like to…I was wondering…will it be okay if I…

I will just say that I am going to set up a private account. It will be only linked to you and I will call myself Elflord'slady.

Ziva

Tim signs off his Tmcgee account and signs in to the account that he hasn't used in several years. Oh he's kept it up to date, figuring that eventually he'll find someone to chat with, but he never in a million years imagined it would be the woman he's admired for so many years.

**Elflord'slady:** Hello my lord.

**ElfLord:** Hello pretty lady.

_It's funny how you sound as if you're right next door__  
><em>_when you're really half a world away__  
><em>_I just can't seem to find the words I'm looking for__  
><em>_to say the things that I want to say__  
><em>_I can't remember when I felt so close to you__  
><em>_it's almost more than I can bear__  
><em>_And though I seem a half a million miles from you__  
><em>_you are in my heart and living there__  
><em>

_And the moon and the stars are the same ones you see__  
><em>_it's the same old sun up in the sky__  
><em>_And your voice in my ear is like heaven to me__  
><em>_like the breezes here in old Shanghai__  
><em>

Ziva smiles as she sits there typing. She'd hoped against all hope that Tim wouldn't be afraid to chat with her. She runs a hand over the chain at her throat, feeling tears tighten her vocal chords as she remembers the past few weeks. The losses she's been dealt with.

**Elflord:** Are you alright my lady?

Ziva smiles through her tears. This is why she'd hoped to find Tim online. The man who has always been there for her. Why couldn't she have fallen in love with him sooner? Why did she doubt the man behind the geek?

**Elflord'slady:** I am fine, my lord. I just, am happy that you still want to talk to me.

Tim frowns then curses as he remembers what she's talking about: The deceptions and lies that she and Tony had been caught up in. Michael Rivkin's death and then the unexpected trip by Tony, Ziva, Vance and Gibbs to Israel. Only Ziva hadn't come back.

**Elflord:** I will always be here for you when you need me my lady. Do you, would you accept a cyber hug?

Ziva bursts into silent sobs. She wants a hug so badly, yet she's always shied away from this man. This gentle man who seems to know just what she needs, just when she needs it. Why hadn't she seen through his computer personality to the man within?

**Elflord: **Ziva?

She wipes the tears away with an angry fist and sighs as she starts typing.

**Elflord'slady:** My apologies, I was feeling sorry for myself. I do not know why.

**Elflord:** There is nothing wrong with feeling a bit lonely my lady. You must be feeling very isolated where you are.

**Elflord'slady:** Yes and I still do not have the answers I need. I need to know why.

Tim sighs, and rubs Jethro's ears.

**Elflord:** McMutt says to tell you hello from him and that he'll miss you and your cooking.

Ziva gives a faint smile. Jethro the dog has never sampled her cooking, but Tim has. She and Tim have exchanged several recipes over the years and she knows that she'll miss her friend while she's searching for answers.

**Elflord'slady:** Can…do you have a webcam my lord?

Tim chuckles as he looks around at all his computer equipment. He does have a webcam and he makes sure it's plugged in before answering.

**Elflord:** I should almost be insulted by that question you know that right?

Ziva gives herself a small head smack. Tim McGee, the master of most computer games and self-professed elflord. Not to mention the degrees that he has in computers.

**Elflord'slady:** Forgive me, my lord, I had forgotten. I do not have one in this room yet, but, would you…never mind.

Tim turns on the webcam as he types in a quick reply. He shares a look with Jethro

**Elflord:** All you had to do is ask my lady. I am always willing to share time with you.

Ziva struggles to overcome her surprise when she sees her friend wearing a pair of glasses.

**Elflord'slady:** I did not know that you wore glasses my lord?

Tim sighs and he rubs his eyes tiredly before typing his reply.

**Elflord:** I just got them a few weeks ago. I was having headaches and our favorite bard told me that I should see a doctor but that he personally thought that it might just be eyestrain and to try wearing glasses that have a small magnification in them.

Ziva googles the word bard and giggles when she sees some of the descriptions. Scrolling down she finally comes across one that seems to fit Ducky almost to a T.

**Elflord'slady:** Yes I can agree with you calling him a bard. He does tell many a fine tale when we care to listen to him.

Tim hides a slight yawn as he types in his answer.

**Elflord:** Sorry, I forgot you might not be familiar with some of the terminology. I just always see him as a bard as he's always telling a story and when we are allowed to listen to him, it actually has a meaning behind it.

Tim can't hide the yawn this time and Ziva smiles at the almost little boy look on his face. She can tell he's fighting sleep so that he can spend time with her online. She looks at the clock and calculates the time back in Silver Spring.

**Elflord'slady:** It is getting late for you my lord. You should go to sleep. I should be here when you wake up again. Do you have the weekend off?

**Elflord:** Yes, and now I have a reason to enjoy it. Good night my lady. I…take care of yourself. Oh before I go…

Ziva watches curiously as Tim looks at Jethro and pats his chest. The dog leans up and puts his paws on Tim's chest and Tim gives the dog a hug as he looks into the webcam.

**Elflord:** We just sent you a hug. Have a good day my lady.

**Elflord'slady:** Thank you my lord. Sweet dreams to you and McMutt, and thank you for the hug.

_There are lovers who walk hand in hand in the park__  
><em>_and lovers who walk all alone__  
><em>_There are lovers who lie unafraid in the dark__  
><em>_and lovers who long for home__  
><em>_I couldn't leave you even if I wanted to__  
><em>_you're in my dreams and always near__  
><em>_And especially when I sing the songs I wrote for you__  
><em>_you are in my heart and living there_

_And the moon and the stars are the same ones you see__  
><em>_it's the same old sun up in the sky__  
><em>_And your face in my dreams is like heaven to me__  
><em>_like the breezes here in old Shanghai__  
><em>

Ziva waits until she sees him leave the room, before she turns off the connection between them. Then she heads into the adjoining shower and lets the water cascade over her as she lets the tears flow. She hadn't thought that a simple conversation could touch her so emotionally. When the water cools, she steps out and towels herself dry. She then heads into her room and gets dressed.

Ziva steps out onto her balcony, staring at nothing as she wanders the small perimeter. In the building directly across from her, Eli David watches in concern as his daughter absently taps her leg with a knife. He had originally been pleased by the fact that she'd stayed behind when Vance had taken the NCIS agents back to America with him. Now he wonders just what she's thinking and why she's not acting like the trained Mossad agent she is. He nods to himself as he thinks about his options. He will give her two weeks and if she still isn't responding the way that he thinks she should be, he'll send her on a mission and get the assassin back in the game.

Ziva in the meantime is thinking about her elflord and how seeing his face has eased some of the loneliness she'd felt prior to contacting him. She walks back into her suite of rooms and finds a message waiting for her on her computer. She smiles when she sees that Tim has thoughtfully provided her with instructions on how to protect her account, especially from prying eyes such as her father.

She studies what he's sent to her, and proceeds to implement his suggestions. She grins as she imagines what her father might say if he tries to access the account. She then leaves the room and heads down the hall trying to remember who she needs to talk to in order to get her computer equipment updated and not raise her father's suspicions.

Tim sleeps a little better that night, knowing that chatting with Ziva has eased his worries just a tiny bit. He still can't help worrying about the woman who has his heart in her tiny hands, even if she doesn't realize it yet. He's not sure what is wrong, but he can't help thinking that she's in danger.

_Shanghai breezes cool and clearing__  
><em>_evening's sweet caress__  
><em>_Shanghai breezes soft and gentle__  
><em>_remind me of your tenderness_

The sun is just starting to lighten the early morning sky when he arises the next morning. Tim takes a picture using his phone and downloads it to his computer. He then sends the picture to the email account that Ziva just set up.

Ziva hears the ding as her messenger service lets her know about a new email and she smiles when she sees the rising sun that Tim has sent to her. she sits down and starts typing.

**Elflord'slady:** Good morning my lord. What a beautiful sunrise you have sent me.

**Elflord:** Hello my lady. Is it evening where you are?

**Elflord'slady:** Yes my lord it is just going dust.

Tim chokes back his laughter, hoping that it's just a mis-worded idiom and not a real dust storm coming her way.

**Elflord:** Umm…you meant to say dusk? Or is it actually dusty?

**Elflord'slady:** Dusk…yes, almost going dark? Not as in dust or desert. I …how do I send a picture?

Tim smiles as he sends her an email teaching her how to send a picture over the internet.

_And the moon and the stars are the same ones you see__  
><em>_it's the same old sun up in the sky__  
><em>_And your love in my life is like heaven to me__  
><em>_like the breezes here in old Shanghai_

The next two weeks are some of the most peaceful ones that Ziva has known. Or maybe it's not peaceful so much as loving. She's feeling Tim's love, his gentle touch and seeing his smile when she dares to turn on the webcam. Then it comes.

**Elflord'slady**: I will be going on a mission tomorrow my lord. We will not be able to communicate for several days if not weeks.

Tim's heart sinks at her words. When she asks him to turn on his webcam he can't refuse her. He needs to see her face and to make sure that she knows he's still there for her, that he'll be there for her when her mission is over.

_And the moon and the stars are the same ones you see__  
><em>_it's the same old sun up in the sky__  
><em>_And your love in my life is like heaven to me__  
><em>_like the breezes here in old Shanghai__  
><em>

_Just like the breezes here in old Shanghai. _

_A/N: For those who haven't read my story Right here waiting, this could be considered a prequel to it. _


End file.
